Data-Storage Specialist Violin Memory Hits Sour Note

Firing of CEO Marks Startup's Woes in Wake of IPO

Violin Memory Inc. was an early entrant in one of the hottest segments of computing hardware. Its dramatic stumble is now raising questions about prospects for some other data-storage specialists.

The Silicon Valley company said Monday it had fired its chief executive, Donald Basile, less than three months after it went public. Howard Bain III, the company's chairman, was named interim chief executive.